Those of you that follow my adventures know that I love a road trip. Our road trips have been confined to our state, mainly because Florida is so freakin' long. This time around we decided to take to the road and head to Tennessee. Over 2,000 miles and 35 hours of driving over 10 days. (I know...I know...I was definitely glad to be back in my own bed.)
The reward was fantastic! We saw nature at its most beautiful and powerful...waterfalls, hungry predators, graceful wildlife, awe inspiring vistas and wondrous caverns. We got to share memories of our own childhoods with the girls. We visited love ones that have passed and was blessed to visit with family not seen in years or even decades. The Rubber Ducks met a new friend and I faced my vertigo head on. (and didn't pass out!) And even documented Tropical Storm Andrea that followed us all the way up through Florida.
A fellow photographer recently took a family vacation and decided to only take ONE lens (her 50mm/1.8). She didn't want to lug all the gear. I don't blame her. She went through the same rationalizing and weighing that I would. What if I want to get that zoomed in distance shot? What if I need my flash? What if I need my tripod to get that group shot...with myself included!
I really didn't think I could do it this time, so I brought all my gear. Tripod included. It did come in handy to have my zoom lens. One morning we witnessed a water moccasin catching & eating his fish breakfast. The zoom lens allowed me to get some great detail of that snake and his meal.
BUT, I broke a personal record and posted 50 Instagram photos documenting our trip! I found myself juggling back and forth with my DSLR and camera phone. Knowing that our friends and family were looking forward to following along & seeing how our days unfolded, so I posted at the end of each day.
In a recent post, I wrote about how much I enjoy/love Instagram and the benefit of training my eye. This trip continued that journey and I found it to be even truer. I love how the story unfolded. I took these out of chronological order and rearranged a bit based on Road Shots, Nature Shots and more of the Storytelling Shots (like the Ducks with the baby snapping turtle).
It truly is doable with just your camera phone. I've got a great album here. The important thing to quickly snap that shot and enjoy the time. SOME day, I'll upgrade my phone with a faster shutter camera and may leave the heavy DSLR at home. Some day. :)
(Wander over to http://instagram.com/marylovesphotos to see more and to follow me!)
Enjoy!
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